Mumbai (Maharashtra): NCB's panch witness in the Cordelia cruise drug case, Prabhakar Sail died yesterday. As per his lawyer Tushar Khandare, he died of a heart attack at his residence in the Mahul area of Chembur yesterday. Sail, who is the personal bodyguard of Kiran Gosavi and also a witness in the Mumbai cruise ship raid case, levelled allegations of corruption against Gosavi and NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede.
A Special Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court on Thursday (March 31) granted a 60-days extension to the Special Investigating Team (SIT) of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to file a charge sheet in the Cordelia cruise drug case in which Aryan Khan and others are accused. The SIT probing the case had sought 90 days of extension in filing a charge sheet. Earlier in December, the Bombay High Court had relieved Aryan Khan, who was arrested in the drugs-on-cruise case, from appearing before Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) every week.
However, the court had directed him to appear before Delhi's Special Investigation Team (SIT) whenever summoned. The SIT took over the investigation of the case in November last year after allegations of pay-offs were levelled against Mumbai Zonal officer of the NCB Sameer Wankhede by Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik and he was dismissed from further probing the case.
Aryan Khan, along with other accused Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha, was granted bail by the High Court on October 28 in the drugs-on-cruise case. An NCB team had busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa at mid-sea on October 2 night. Eight persons were detained for questioning by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with the case. Eight people were later arrested on October 3 including, Aryan Khan, Arbaaz Merchant, and Munmun Dhamecha. Later, a total of 20 people were arrested in connection with the case.
The drug case had also turned into a political slugfest among the political parties in Maharashtra, with Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik claiming the case related to the alleged recovery of banned drugs from the ship as "fake" and arrests made just on the basis of WhatsApp chats.
Also read: Witness in Aryan Khan's case alleges pay-off to senior officer Sameer Wankhede
